History Main / CreatorsOddball

* Creator/{{A24}} is best known for producing [[Film/TheFloridaProject dramas]] and [[Film/{{Hereditary horrors]] for mature audiences, but they have made [[Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn2021 one family-friendly film]].

* The Film/{{Hercule Poirot|Kenneth Branagh}} of Creator/KennethBranagh are noteworthy for being the first time he's directed sequels (''Film/{{Death on the Nile|2022}}'') of any kind.

* Zach Cregger, best known for [[Series/TheWhitestKidsUKnow a sketch comedy troupe]], made his directorial debut (co-directed with his late friend and fellow member Trevor Moore with ''Film/MissMarch'', a raunchy sex comedy at a time where films of the same genre were going out of style. When that film proved to be a CreatorKiller, Cregger would switch genres 13 years later, this time alone, helming [[Film/{{Barbarian a horror thriller film]] with plenty of PsychologicalHorror, FanDisservice, NauseaFuel, and only tangential hints of comedy. That film, ''Barbarian'', would become a critical and commerical success.

* Creator/GeorgeMiller, director of ''Film/MadMax,'' later directed the somber medical drama ''Lorenzo's Oil'' and family movies about [[Film/{{Babe}} cute pigs]] and [[WesternAnimation/HappyFeet penguins]]. And then, after thirty years, [[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad he Fury Road]].

* Creator/MarvelStudios has been noted for bringing in some indie or unusual choices for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Creator/TheRussoBrothers were known for directing television comedy episodes for shows like ''Series/{{Community}}'' and ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'', when they got the job to direct the big-budget {{Superhero}} ConspiracyThriller blockbuster, ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', which is now regarded as a contender for the best movie entry of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. The result was so positive they would direct [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar the next Captain America]] ''and'' [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar two]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame Avengers films]].
** Creator/JamesGunn was known for [[Film/{{Slither}} horror]] or [[Film/{{Super}} downright]] [[Film/Movie43 weird]] [[Series/JamesGunnsPGPorn work]] before he was hired for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''... Although the most unexplainable entries of his career might be writing the [[Film/ScoobyDoo2002 first]] [[Film/ScoobyDooMonstersUnleashed two]] ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' films...
** Creator/ScottDerrickson, who already had an oddball compared to [[Film/TheExorcismOfEmilyRose his]] [[Film/{{Sinister}} horror]] [[Film/DeliverUsFromEvil films]] in ''Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill2008'', was brought in for the trippy ''Film/DoctorStrange2016''. And amusingly, the sequel that would be horror-oriented had Derrickson eventually drop out due to CreativeDifferences.
** Creator/PeytonReed, who had only done [[Film/BringItOn primarily]] [[Film/DownWithLove comedy]] [[Film/YesMan films]], as well as [[Film/TheBreakUp one romantic dramedy]], did ''Film/AntMan1'' (replacing another director who had only delved in that genre, but with a more action-packed approach, Creator/EdgarWright).
** Jon Watts had only done [[Film/{{Clown}} a horror movie]] and [[Film/CopCar a thriller]], yet Marvel trusted him with [[ComicBook/SpiderMan their most popular character]], and a known jokester in that, with ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''.
** Creator/TaikaWaititi, responsible for [[Film/Boy1969 two acclaimed]] [[Film/HuntForTheWilderpeople comedy dramas]] and [[Film/WhatWeDoInTheShadows a comedy horror flick]], made ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', which had a more comedic approach as a result. And then there's the matter of him potentially helming a LiveActionAdaptation of ''Manga/{{AKIRA}}''...
** Creator/RyanCoogler had [[Film/FruitvaleStation a biographical drama]] and [[Film/Creed2015 a sports drama]] before receiving ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. (And him co-writing a sports ''comedy'' in the ''Film/SpaceJam'' [[Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy sequel]] is even weirder...)
** Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck made [[Series/TheAffair many dramas]] [[Series/{{Looking}} on TV]] [[Film/ItsKindOfAFunnyStory and film]] before being given ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019''.
** While Cate Shortland had made a thriller in ''Film/BerlinSyndrome'', it's certainly far from the espionage action of ''Film/BlackWidow2021''.
** Creator/DestinDanielCretton made quiet low budget dramas. Marvel gave him a martial arts epic in ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''.
** Creator/ChloeZhao, responsible for [[Film/TheRider two small]] [[Film/{{Nomadland}} dramas]], was hired to do [[TheEpic an epic]] in ''Film/{{Eternals}}''.
** Creator/NiaDaCosta, responsible for the thriller ''Film/LittleWoods'' and the horror ''Film/Candyman2021'', ended up with Captain Marvel's sequel ''The Marvels''.
** Creator/MichaelGiacchino is well known for being a composer for many films, particularly superhero ones. He also directed the retraux Halloween special, ''Film/WerewolfByNight2022'' (although he did compose the score for that one too).


* Film/HammerHorror produced many memorable horror films such as ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and ''Film/HorrorOfDracula''. Yet they also produced the campy 1969 science fiction film and self-proclaimed SpaceWestern ''Film/MoonZeroTwo'', which was as far from Gothic horror as one could get.
* ''Film/TheMightyPekingMan'' (also known as ''Goliathon'') was a [[{{Kaiju}} giant monster movie]] made by the Creator/ShawBrothers, who were known almost entirely for their {{martial arts movie}}s.
* An InUniverse example in ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'', when the eponymous HardRock band suddenly changes over to acoustic jazz for the sake of experiment for all of one concert.
* WebVideo/RedLetterMedia made schlock comedy and horror/comedy films such as ''Film/GorillaInterrupted'', ''Oranges: Revenge of the Eggplant'', and ''Film/FeedingFrenzy'' before finding success as a comedic online review show. However, in 2008 they also made ''Film/TheRecovered'', an entirely serious PsychologicalHorror film without a single joke.

* Creator/{{A24}} is best known for producing dramas and horrors for mature audiences, but they have made one family friendly film, ''Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn2021''.
* Creator/{{Disney}} produced ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'', which is superficially similar to ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', in that is set in a world where [[AnimatedActors toons]] and humans coexist and there's an underlying criminal plot. But, for a Disney movie, it is remarkably meta, self-mocking (for one, the BigBad is [[spoiler:an aged and embittered Peter Pan]]) and almost sarcastic about the nature of fandoms, movie making and animation production. Not to mention full of DemographicallyInappropriateHumour and of [[UnexpectedCharacter cameos]] from animated shows that are decidedly ''not'' for kids, such as Randy Marsh or Butt-Head.

* Creator/JonMChu had only done music films before getting an action film in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''. Even compared to his later work ''Film/NowYouSeeMe2'' it's weird.

* Jean-Pierre Jeunet did this with ''Film/{{Amelie}}'', a lighthearted romantic comedy completely in contrast to his [[Film/{{Delicatessen}} darker]] and [[Film/TheCityOfLostChildren more]] [[Film/AlienResurrection violent]] films. He also went against custom by casting a traditionally attractive actor in the lead role.

* Francis Lawrence, the director of dark action films such as ''Film/Constantine2005'', ''Film/IAmLegend'', ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'', ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay'', and ''Film/RedSparrow'' also directed ''Film/WaterForElephants'', a romantic drama based on the [[Literature/WaterForElephants book of the same name]].

** Apparently, Creator/SergioLeone -- known for having something of a hard-on for America, or at least American history -- had also planned to make a film about the siege of Leningrad during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Sadly, he died before it got very far.

* Creator/JamesMangold has made a career out of playing against type - character study (''Heavy''), crime drama (''Film/CopLand''), institutionalised young women (''Film/GirlInterrupted''), time-travelling romcom (''Film/KateAndLeopold''), serial killer thriller (''Film/{{Identity}}''), biopic (''Film/WalkTheLine''), Western (''Film/ThreeTenToYuma2007''), action (''Film/KnightAndDay''), comics (''Film/TheWolverine'', ''Film/{{Logan}}''), racing (''Film/FordVFerrari''), co-writing an animated Creator/{{Disney}} feature (''WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany'')...

* Creator/GeorgeMiller, director of ''Film/MadMax,'' later directed the somber medical drama ''Lorenzo's Oil'' and family movies about [[Film/{{Babe}} cute pigs]] and [[WesternAnimation/HappyFeet penguins]]. And then, after thirty years, went back to ''Mad Max'' with the explosive ''[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Fury Road]]''.

** ''A Simple Plan'' and ''For Love of the Game'' in particular stand out for eschewing Raimi's usual dynamic camerawork and campy tones. Favoring a far more serious and grounded directorial approach.
* Carol Reed was known for his gritty dramatic works (the most famous being ''Film/TheThirdMan''), but he won his lone Oscar for 1968's ''Film/{{Oliver}}'' -- a musical. His next film, 1970's ''Flap'', also falls under this since it's a comedy.

* Creator/EliRoth, a director of {{Gorn}}-filled TorturePorn and SplatterHorror films such as ''Film/CabinFever'' and ''Film/{{Hostel}}'' also directed ''Film/TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls'', a PG-rated GothicHorror {{Fantasy}} film based on a children's book. He also directed the action film ''Film/DeathWish2018'', a remake of [[FilmDeathWish1974 the 1974 film of the same name]], and is set to direct a sci-fi action comedy based on [[VideoGame/{{Borderlands}} a popular video game series]].

* Creator/MNightShyamalan started off famous for his original drama films with twist endings. In 2010, he directed an [[Film/TheLastAirbender adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', an action-adventure fantasy epic [[3DMovie shot in 3D]], no less. Unfortunately, this departure from his standard formula was not well received and considered by many to be his weakest effort.
** He also did ''Film/AfterEarth'', which, despite receiving ''slightly'' better reviews, still received negative reception; many critics felt the film was fairly standard sci-fi yarn that could've been directed by anybody[[note]]which actually rings true, as that film was the brainchild of its star Creator/WillSmith[[/note]].

* Creator/ZackSnyder, director of violent thrillers such as ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'', ''Film/ThreeHundred'', and ''Film/SuckerPunch'' directed the family animated film ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.

* Creator/EliRoth, a director of {{Gorn}}-filled TorturePorn and SplatterHorror films also directed ''Film/TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls'', a PG-rated GothicHorror {{Fantasy}} film based on a children's book.

* Ridley's brother, Creator/TonyScott, carved out a career directing action films like ''Film/TopGun'', ''Film/ManOnFire'', ''Film/TrueRomance'' etc. His first feature film? A gloomy vampire story called ''Film/TheHunger'' - which he made as a consolation prize for not getting to direct ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' (he was a huge Creator/AnneRice fan). In this case, after ''The Hunger'' flopped, he transitioned into directing car commercials - and this lead to his success as an action director.
* Creator/MNightShyamalan started off famous for his original drama films with twist endings. In 2010, he directed an [[Film/TheLastAirbender adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. This departure from his standard formula was not well received and was considered his weakest effort. He also did ''Film/AfterEarth'' which many critics felt was fairly standard sci-fi yarn that could've been directed by anybody. Which actually rings true, as that film was the brainchild of its star Creator/WillSmith.

* Creator/GuillermoDelToro is known for fantasy and science-fiction films that, while scary at times, usually feature sympathetic monsters and heroic outcasts fighting back against an oppressive society, and often have a BittersweetEnding. By contrast, his film ''Film/NightmareAlley2021'' (adapted from [[Literature/NightmareAlley the novel of the same name]]) is a straightforward crime thriller with no fantastical elements whatsoever, featuring a con man VillainProtagonist who lies, cheats and manipulates his way into high society without any regard for others, and [[DownerEnding ending on a crushingly bleak note]].

* Joe Wright got famous for directing British period dramas like ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005'', ''Literature/{{Atonement}}'' and ''Literature/AnnaKarenina'' (usually starring Creator/KeiraKnightley). Then he went and made ''Film/{{Hanna}}'' - an action thriller. And then ''Film/{{Pan}}'' - a PG-fantasy film. His next two films were a [[Film/DarkestHour2017 a biopic about Winston Churchill]] and [[Film/{{Cyrano}} a musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac]].
* Creator/GoreVerbinski: He is the director of action/adventure flicks like the first three ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films, ''Film/TheLoneRanger2013'', and ''Film/TheMexican'', as well as horror films like ''Literature/TheRing'' and ''Film/ACureForWellness''. He also directed the slapstick comedy ''Film/MouseHunt'', the {{Dramedy}} ''Film/TheWeatherMan'', and the animated SpaghettiWestern ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''.

* Jerry Zucker is most well known for doing comedies like ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' and ''Film/TopSecret'' but he also directed the critically acclaimed drama film ''Film/Ghost1990'' and the Camelot drama ''Film/FirstKnight''.
* Ed Zwick, best known for historical war epics and the like (including ''Film/{{Glory}}'', ''Film/TheLastSamurai'', and ''Film/BloodDiamond'') made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy ''Film/AboutLastNight'', and took a break from the Oscar bait with his latest film ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'', a sex comedy about a Viagra salesman.

* Creator/ArmandoIannucci is best known for his cynical, scathing political satire work on both the big and small screen, but he also directed a [[LighterAndSofter whimsical, optimistic, and progressive]] [[Creator/CharlesDickens Dickens]] [[Literature/DavidCopperfield adaptation]], ''Film/ThePersonalHistoryOfDavidCopperfield''.

* Creator/QuentinTarantino: Tarantino's style is very well established across his oeuvre, whether he's doing [[Film/ReservoirDogs crime]] [[Film/PulpFiction thrillers]], [[Film/IngloriousBasterds war movies]], [[Film/DjangoUnchained westerns]], [[Film/KillBill kung fu revenge flicks]], [[Film/{{Grindhouse}} grindhouse]] [[Film/DeathProof pastiches]], [[Film/TheHatefulEight and much]] [[Film/OnceUponATimeInHollywood more]]. His biggest oddball is ''Film/JackieBrown'', not just simply by the fact that it's his only adaptation, but it's also mostly driven by [[SpeechCentricWork dialogue and witty banter]] with sporadic bursts of violence in-between. Therefore, it shares its artistic DNA with Creator/ElmoreLeonard, the author of [[Literature/RumPunch the original novel]].
* Creator/JamesWan is one of the biggest names in modern {{horror}}, having gotten his start as the creator of the torture porn movie franchise ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''. He also directed ''Film/DeadSilence'', ''Film/{{Insidious}}'', and ''Film/TheConjuring'', which all fit his typical line of work. But his most successful movie by far? ''Film/Furious7'', a high-octane blockbuster action film with an [[CarFu emphasis on vehicles]], and RuleOfCool is valued above all else. If one was introduced to Wan through this movie, they'd have a hard time believing he's one of the biggest names in the horror genre. He would later go on to helm ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'', which is yet another action-packed romp different from his usual output, this time in the superhero genre.
* Joe Wright got famous for directing British period dramas like ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005'', ''Literature/{{Atonement}}'' and ''Literature/AnnaKarenina'' (usually starring Creator/KeiraKnightley). Then he went and made ''Film/{{Hanna}}'' - an action thriller. And then ''Film/{{Pan}}'' - a PG-fantasy film. His next two films were a [[Film/DarkestHour2017 a biopic about Winston Churchill]] and [[Film/{{Cyrano}} a musical adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac]].

* Kimberley Peirce was fond of the gritty indie dramas with a strong social message - ''Film/BoysDontCry'' and ''Film/StopLoss''. Then she goes and directs the 2013 remake of Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/{{Carrie}}''.
* Creator/BlakeEdwards was legendary for directing comedies or light-hearted films like ''Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys'', ''Film/Ten1979'', ''Film/{{SOB}}'', ''Film/VictorVictoria'' and of course ''Franchise/ThePinkPanther'' series. He had two notable departures. First was ''Film/DaysOfWineAndRoses'' - a drama about an alcoholic trying to get his crush addicted to booze. The second was ''Film/DarlingLili'' - a sexy spy musical set during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. The latter was notably a victim of ExecutiveMeddling that resulted in a lot of the slapstick he was known for - thus creating jarring tonal shifts. He recut the film in the 90s to make it more serious.
* David Kirschner is well known in Hollywood for his writing and producing credits for family movies like ''Film/HocusPocus'' and ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail''; along with his time as president for Creator/HannaBarbera during the '80s. Yet between these projects he also produced the popular horror franchise ''Film/ChildsPlay'' and later the psychological thriller ''Film/{{Frailty}}''; both of which really stand out in a filmography made up of kids material.
* WebVideo/RedLetterMedia made schlock comedy and horror/comedy films such as ''Film/GorillaInterrupted'', ''Oranges: Revenge of the Eggplant'', and ''Film/FeedingFrenzy'' before finding success as a comedic online review show. However, in 2008 they also made ''Film/TheRecovered'', an entirely serious PsychologicalHorror film without a single joke.

* Creator/EliRoth, a director of {{Gorn}}-filled TorturePorn and SplatterHorror films also directed ''Film/TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls'', a PG-rated GothicHorror {{Fantasy}} film based on a children's book.
* Creator/GuillermoDelToro is known for fantasy and science-fiction films that, while scary at times, usually feature sympathetic monsters and heroic outcasts fighting back against an oppressive society, and often have a BittersweetEnding. By contrast, his film ''Film/NightmareAlley2021'' (adapted from [[Literature/NightmareAlley the novel of the same name]]) is a straightforward crime thriller with no fantastical elements whatsoever, featuring a con man VillainProtagonist who lies, cheats and manipulates his way into high society without any regard for others, and [[DownerEnding ending on a crushingly bleak note]].
* Creator/DavidFincher, best known for gritty, edgy, and R-rated thrillers, directed ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'', a whimsical MagicalRealism fantasy romance with a PG-13 rating, easily the lightest film he's ever done. He also directed ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'', a biopic about the foundig of Facebook, which still contains his trademark cynicism despite not being a gritty thriller.
* Creator/PaulFeig is mainly known for his work directing female-led comedy films. However, two notable exceptions exist:
** ''Film/UnaccompaniedMinors'' is a holiday comedy focusing on a mix of young boys and girls stuck at an airport together.
** ''Film/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil2022'' is a more dramatic fantasy story.

* Creator/GretaGerwig established her directorial career with the more autorish ''Film/LadyBird'' and ''Film/LittleWomen2019''. Her next film will be the more commercial ''Film/Barbie2023''.
* Disney produced ''Film/ChipNDaleRescueRangers2022'', which is superficially similar to ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', in that is set in a world where [[AnimatedActors toons]] and humans coexist and there's an underlying criminal plot. But, for a Disney movie, it is remarkably meta, self-mocking (for one, the BigBad is [[spoiler:an aged and embittered Peter Pan]]) and almost sarcastic about the nature of fandoms, movie making and animation production. Not to mention full of DemographicallyInappropriateHumour and of [[UnexpectedCharacter cameos]] from animated shows that are decidedly ''not'' for kids, such as Randy Marsh or Butt-Head.
* Creator/NeillBlomkamp is known for his VFX-heavy, thematic science fiction films often deal with themes of xenophobia and social segregation. Meanwhile, the upcoming ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' is a biopic/coming of age film focusing on a player of the titular game series and personal racer.
* The Film/{{Hercule Poirot|Kenneth Branagh}} of Creator/KennethBranagh are noteworthy for being the first time he's directed sequels (''Film/{{Death on the Nile|2022}}'') of any kind.
* Creator/BusbyBerkeley, best known for his [[BusbyBerkeleyNumber lavish musical numbers]], directed a crime drama remake called ''Film/TheyMadeMeACriminal'' in 1939. Warner Brothers gave him the oddball project in an attempt to keep him occupied so he wouldn't leave the studio; it didn't work.
* Following bad reviews for ''Film/TheLongKissGoodnight'', Creator/ShaneBlack attempted this doing a RomanticComedy imitating his idol and mentor at the time, Creator/JamesLBrooks. Then when he hit a creative wall, he just returned to his SignatureStyle and the result was ''Film/KissKissBangBang''.
* Creator/BobClark directed several notable horror films in the early '70s, including ''Film/ChildrenShouldntPlayWithDeadThings'', ''Film/{{Deathdream}}'', and the groundbreaking ''Film/BlackChristmas1974''. Then he abandoned horror, directed the teen sex comedy ''Film/{{Porkys}}'', and spent the last twenty years of his career making more family-friendly films such as ''Film/AChristmasStory'' and ''Film/BabyGeniuses''.
* Creator/StuartGordon and Creator/BrianYuzna, best known for graphic horror movies like ''Film/ReAnimator'', ''Film/FromBeyond'', and ''Film/{{Society}}'', also wrote the Creator/{{Disney}} family comedy ''Film/HoneyIShrunkTheKids''. Gordon was originally slated to direct as well, but had to drop out due to illness.
* Film/HammerHorror produced many memorable horror films such as ''Film/TheCurseOfFrankenstein'' and ''Film/HorrorOfDracula''. Yet they also produced the campy 1969 science fiction film and self-proclaimed SpaceWestern ''Film/MoonZeroTwo'', which was as far from Gothic horror as one could get.
* Creator/StanleyKubrick was known for making dark, controversial, and artsy films in his lifetime, but while [[DiedDuringProduction he didn't live to see its completion]], ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'' was intended to be this, envisioning it as [[LighterAndSofter a bittersweet, but whimsical and futuristic]] Pinocchio-esque story. Kubrick originally wanted to pass on the project to its eventual director Creator/StevenSpielberg as it was more like [[SignatureStyle his usual style]], but while Spielberg initially convinced Kubrick to hold onto it himself, Kubrick's early death motivated Spielberg to take on the mantle. Because of this rather unique mid-development passing of hands, a lot of people thought that the lighter aspects of the final film were Spielberg defiling a dark Kubrick fable with his signature flim-flam, [[{{Misblamed}} when in reality they were all Kubrick's ideas to begin with]], and made as a conscious ''tribute'' to that sentimentality.
* Sexploitation meister Creator/RussMeyer directed a serious courtroom drama called ''Film/TheSevenMinutes''. He does manage to squeeze in some instances of his brand of {{Fanservice}}, but not nearly to the extent of his other films. The film failed at the box-office and Meyer would later comment that "attaching my name to that film was a bummer. It does a great disservice to everyone concerned."
* ''Film/TheMightyPekingMan'' (also known as ''Goliathon'') was a [[{{Kaiju}} giant monster movie]] made by the Creator/ShawBrothers, who were known almost entirely for their {{martial arts movie}}s.
* Ti West, best known for horror films like ''Film/TheHouseOfTheDevil'', ''Film/TheInnkeepers'', ''Film/TheSacrament'', and ''Film/{{X 2022}}'' also wrote and directed the Western ''Film/InAValleyOfViolence''.
* An InUniverse example in ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'', when the eponymous HardRock band suddenly changes over to acoustic jazz for the sake of experiment for all of one concert.
* Music/RobZombie is best known as both a HeavyMetal musician and the maker of extremely violent, gritty, [[ClusterFBomb profane]], and [[BlackComedy darkly comedic]] horror movies, particularly the "Firefly Trilogy" of ''Film/HouseOf1000Corpses'', ''Film/TheDevilsRejects'', and ''Film/ThreeFromHell'' along with [[Film/Halloween2007 his remake]] of ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}''.
** ''Film/TheLordsOfSalem'', while still an R-rated horror film, strays far from his usual grindhouse-inspired style, instead being a grim ReligiousHorror film about evil witches that emphasizes mood and SurrealHorror instead of graphic violence and whose villains are ''not'' AffablyEvil.
** He also directed a [[Film/TheMunsters film adaptation]] of ''Series/TheMunsters''. While his involvement is understandable given [[PromotedFanboy his lifelong fandom of the show]] (his SignatureSong "Dragula" is named after Grandpa Munster's coffin dragster), what ''was'' a surprise was the fact that it was rated PG and specifically recreated the show's sense of humor, without trying to play it DarkerAndEdgier or as a {{deconstruction}}. The trailer even lampshaded this, opening by listing off some of the violent horror movies Rob had made in the past before jumping right into straightforward comedy.
* Creator/RobertRodriguez made his name with violent, sleazy action and horror films like the "Mexico Trilogy" (''Film/ElMariachi'', ''Film/{{Desperado}}'', and ''Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico'') and ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn''.
** So it came as a shock to just about everybody when he made the lighthearted family comedy ''Film/SpyKids1'' in 2001... and then made [[Film/SpyKids two back-to-back sequels]] to it over the next two years. He's since mostly gone back to his more R-rated roots with ''Film/SinCity'', ''Film/PlanetTerror'', and ''Film/{{Machete}}'', though he does this side-by-side with family films like ''Film/{{Shorts}}'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfSharkboyAndLavagirl'' that he [[SoMyKidsCanWatch makes for his kids]].
** ''Film/TheFaculty'' is something in between. On one hand, it's an R-rated sci-fi horror movie inspired by ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', but on the other, it's also a ''teen'' horror film with satirical undertones inspired by ''Film/Scream1996'' and ''Film/TheBreakfastClub''. On a creative level, it was also the first film he directed that he didn't also write.
** Likewise, ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' and the TV series ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'' (which he is the ShowRunner for) have him going into pure sci-fi action with a PG-13 rating.
* Creator/JohnCameronMitchell is known for directing quirky, offbeat films with unconventional themes and stylings, usually with prominent focus on LGBT characters. His sole exception is ''Theatre/RabbitHole'', a somber, down-to-earth drama about a married couple struggling to process their grief in the wake of their four-year-old son's death.

* Creator/CharlieChaplin always directed comedies, starring himself, except for ''Film/AWomanOfParis'', a dramatic film about a tragic romance in which he appears only in a brief CreatorCameo.
* Creator/DavidLynch is known for surreal and disturbing dramas, often featuring bizarre imagery, weird sex, human deformities, and violence. That is, except for ''Film/TheStraightStory'', a G-rated, heartwarming family film distributed by ''Creator/{{Disney}}'', about an old man who drives a riding lawnmower hundreds of miles to see his dying brother one last time.
* Creator/MNightShyamalan started off famous for his original drama films with twist endings. In 2010, he directed an [[Film/TheLastAirbender adaptation]] of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. This departure from his standard formula was not well received and was considered his weakest effort. He also did ''Film/AfterEarth'' which many critics felt was fairly standard sci-fi yarn that could've been directed by anybody. Which actually rings true, as that film was the brainchild of its star Creator/WillSmith.
* Creator/GretaGerwig, director of auteurist drama films like ''Film/LadyBird'' and ''Film/LittleWomen2019'' is also directing ''Film/Barbie2023'', a tongue-in-cheek and irreverent comedy reminiscent of product placement films like ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie''.
* Creator/GeorgeLucas is famous for sci-fi and fantasy adventure films; ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' are the most famous examples, while ''Film/THX1138'' is a classic to sci-fi buffs. He also produced the film ''Film/HowardTheDuck'', which is a comedy film based on a comic book. It's ''technically'' a sci-fi film, but barely, and it's not fondly remembered. He considers it his OldShame.
** His earlier film, ''Film/AmericanGraffiti,'' fits even better, being a realistic film inspired by his own teenage years. In fact, he created it because Creator/FrancisFordCoppola (who produced it) bet him that he couldn't make a mainstream, realistic movie. It's also considered a classic and basically invented the NostalgiaFilter ComingOfAgeStory..
** ''WesternAnimation/StrangeMagic'' is an animated kid's movie loosely based on ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream.'' In this case it was deemed too strange, relegated by Disney to the Creator/TouchstonePictures label and mostly forgotten about. It's become something of a CultClassic, however.
* Creator/AdamSandler is best known for appearing in rather lowbrow comedies such as ''Film/BillyMadison'' and ''Film/HappyGilmore''. However, some of his films (including ''Film/PunchDrunkLove'', ''Film/ReignOverMe'' and ''Film/UncutGems'') are dramas which [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct show that Sandler is capable of more than just screwball shtick]].
* Creator/JimHenson, creator of the colorful, cheerful [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppets]], also directed ''Film/TheDarkCrystal''. ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' could also count as well.
* ''Film/Titanic1997'': Because of its enormous success and long-lasting cultural impact, it's easy to forget that the film was a huge departure from Creator/JamesCameron's usual style of films, being a romantic period piece after having directed gritty sci-fi films like ''Film/TheTerminator'' and ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' during most of his career.
* Hideaki Anno, the creator of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', a dark mecha series with heavy amounts of symbolism and Mindscrew, directed a LiveActionAdaptation of the anime ''Anime/CuteyHoney'', a lighthearted magical girl series with plenty of FanService.
* Creator/AndrewDavis, known for his action films such as ''Film/UnderSiege'' and ''Film/TheFugitive'' as well as lesser-known action films like Arnold's ''Film/CollateralDamage'', directed the family film ''Film/{{Holes}}'' that was Shia [=LaBeouf's=] feature film debut, and was based on a children's book.

* Creator/StanleyKramer was a director best known for dramas tackling social issues (''Theatre/InheritTheWind'', ''Film/JudgmentAtNuremberg'', ''Literature/OnTheBeach'', etc.). ''Film/ItsAMadMadMadMadWorld''? It's a screwball comedy.
* Creator/WesCraven joked that he went from "violence" to "violins" when he directed Creator/MerylStreep to an Oscar nomination in ''Film/MusicOfTheHeart''.

* Jay Roach, director of the Film/AustinPowers movies and ''Film/MeetTheParents'', also directed the TV movie ''Recount'', a political drama about the events of the United States presidential election in 2000, and ''Film/Bombshell2019'', another political drama about the Fox News sexual harassment cases revealed during the 2016 election.
* Creator/ZackSnyder, director of violent thrillers such as ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'', ''Film/ThreeHundred'', and ''Film/SuckerPunch'' directed the family animated film ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.
** There is noticeably no [[{{Overcrank}} slow-motion]] to be found in ''Film/ManOfSteel'', unlike with the aforementioned thrillers, which are heavy on it in their action scenes.
** ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead'' is the first feature film that Snyder has ever shot entirely digitally (the only things he shot digitally before this movie was his short ''Film/SnowSteamIron'', and parts of the epilogue for ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' after ''Army of the Dead'' completed principal photography). It is also perhaps the one in his filmography with the least amount of ColorWash outside of ''Film/DawnOfTheDead2004''. It's also one for Creator/{{Netflix}}: the streamer had long been barred from screening any of its films in mainstream cinema chains in the United States and many other countries, notably attempting and failing to work out arrangements for ''Film/{{Roma}}'', ''Film/TheIrishman'' and ''Film/MarriageStory''. In the wake of the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, however, the #3 U.S. chain Cinemark warmed relations with Netflix, allowing for titles like ''Film/{{Mank}}'', ''Film/TheTrialOfTheChicago7'', ''Film/TheMidnightSky'' and ''Film/MaRaineysBlackBottom'' to play on their screens. ''Army of the Dead'', however, marks the first time a Netflix film has received a full-on nationwide release in a major cinema chain, despite premiering on the streaming service just one week later. While it only earned about an estimated $1 million, the release was apparently considered enough of a success that Netflix would launch another 14 movies in theaters between September and December 2021.
* Creator/GeorgeMiller, director of ''Film/MadMax,'' later directed the somber medical drama ''Lorenzo's Oil'' and family movies about [[Film/{{Babe}} cute pigs]] and [[WesternAnimation/HappyFeet penguins]]. And then, after thirty years, went back to ''Mad Max'' with the explosive ''[[Film/MadMaxFuryRoad Fury Road]]''.
* Ed Zwick, best known for historical war epics and the like (including ''Film/{{Glory}}'', ''Film/TheLastSamurai'', and ''Film/BloodDiamond'') made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy ''Film/AboutLastNight'', and took a break from the Oscar bait with his latest film ''Film/LoveAndOtherDrugs'', a sex comedy about a Viagra salesman.
** And prior to his epic film work, he was well known for producing television dramedies, most notably ''Series/{{thirtysomething}}'' and ''Series/MySoCalledLife''.
* Creator/SergioLeone is probably best known for his spaghetti Westerns, several of which involved actors being cast against type. His last film was ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'', a story about gangsters.
** When Creator/SergioLeone finished ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', he originally wanted to direct against type by making ''Once Upon a Time in America'', but gave in to popular demand and made ''Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest'', which was the start of a new trilogy that would end with ''Once Upon a Time in America''.
** Apparently, Creator/SergioLeone -- known for having something of a hard-on for America, or at least American history -- had also planned to make a film about the siege of Leningrad during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Sadly, he died before it got very far.
* Creator/SamPeckinpah's reputation for making hyperviolent films was established with such movies as ''Film/TheWildBunch'' and ''Film/StrawDogs1971''. However, he also made ''Film/TheBalladOfCableHogue'' and ''Film/JuniorBonner'', two non-violent character studies about people trying to adjust to life in the changing world of the NewOldWest.
* Creator/RolandEmmerich, best known for large-scale disaster movies such as ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve'', ''Film/IndependenceDay'', and ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'', tackled ''Film/Anonymous2011'', a historical mystery-thriller that supports the conspiracy theory of the Oxfordian Theory (i.e., that a member of British aristocracy wrote plays and had Shakespeare presented as an illiterate stooge). After a return to destruction fests in ''Film/WhiteHouseDown'', his next film, ''Film/Stonewall2015'', was a historical drama focused on [[UsefulNotes/PrideParade the eponymous riots for gay rights]].

* Creator/AlfredHitchcock, known to film history for directing suspense thrillers and crime dramas, often with explicit violence, took some time in 1941 to direct a ScrewballComedy called ''Film/MrAndMrsSmith1941'' starring Creator/CaroleLombard.
* Creator/JohnLandis mainly directed comedies like ''Film/AnimalHouse'', ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', and ''Film/ThreeAmigos'' but he has also directed the critically acclaimed horror films ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon'' and a segment of ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie''.
* Jerry Zucker is most well known for doing comedies like ''Film/{{Airplane}}'' and ''Film/TopSecret'' but he also directed the critically acclaimed drama film ''Film/Ghost1990'' and the Camelot drama ''Film/FirstKnight''.
* Not directing, but rather ''producing'': Creator/MelBrooks was a primary producer for both Creator/DavidLynch's ''Film/TheElephantMan'' and Creator/DavidCronenberg's ''Film/TheFly1986''. In order to keep anyone from thinking that either of these movies was a comedy, he insisted that he be completely uncredited.

* Creator/FrancisFordCoppola is known for directing drama films like ''Film/TheGodfather'' series, ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', he also directed the family comedy-drama ''Film/Jack1996'', about a young boy played by Creator/RobinWilliams who psychically ages several decades at an accelerated rate.
* Creator/AlejandroJodorowsky, the director responsible for MindScrew films such as ''Film/ElTopo'' and ''Film/TheHolyMountain'' made a kids' movie called ''Tusk'', which didn't have any of the strange symbolism and violence of his other movies. [[CreatorBacklash He disowned the film]].
* Francis Lawrence, the director of dark action films such as ''Film/Constantine2005'', ''Film/IAmLegend'', ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'', ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay'', and ''Film/RedSparrow'' also directed ''Film/WaterForElephants'', a romantic drama based on the [[Literature/WaterForElephants book of the same name]].

* Tom Schulman, the Academy Award-winning writer of ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'', made his directorial debut with the BlackComedy ''Film/EightHeadsInADuffelBag''. Carpe diem, indeed.
* Creator/PeterBerg, an actor turned director best known for action films such as ''Film/TheRundown'', ''Film/TheKingdom'', ''Film/{{Hancock}}'', ''Film/{{Battleship}}'', ''Film/LoneSurvivor'', ''Film/Mile22'', and ''Film/SpenserConfidential'' as well as drama films such as ''[[Series/FridayNightLights Friday Night Lights (2004)]]'', ''Film/DeepwaterHorizon'', and ''Film/PatriotsDay'' made his directorial debut with the BlackComedy ''Film/VeryBadThings''.
** He's also gone against type as a producer, being one of the producers of the romantic comedy ''Film/LarsAndTheRealGirl''.
* Creator/GoreVerbinski: He is the director of action/adventure flicks like the first three ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' films, ''Film/TheLoneRanger2013'', and ''Film/TheMexican'', as well as horror films like ''Literature/TheRing'' and ''Film/ACureForWellness''. He also directed the slapstick comedy ''Film/MouseHunt'', the {{Dramedy}} ''Film/TheWeatherMan'', and the animated SpaghettiWestern ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''.
* Creator/GeorgeARomero, best known for his ''Film/LivingDeadSeries'' zombie movies, has among his directorial credits the 1971 romantic comedy ''[[Film/TheresAlwaysVanilla There's Always Vanilla]]''.
* Creator/MichaelBay is best known for his over-the-top, effects-heavy blockbusters like the Film/TransformersFilmSeries (the first five released between 2007 and 2017) and ''Film/Armageddon1998''. He deliberately went against type with the small-scale, darkly comedic, true-crime thriller ''Film/PainAndGain''.
* Creator/RidleyScott usually does grim action films. Twice in the 2000s he made comedies, ''Film/MatchstickMen'' (which still had some adventure content as it deals with con men) and ''Film/AGoodYear'' (a straight-up romantic comedy, mostly to [[SceneryPorn shoot near his French home]]). He was also one of the executive producers of ''Film/TheATeam''.
* Ridley's brother, Creator/TonyScott, carved out a career directing action films like ''Film/TopGun'', ''Film/ManOnFire'', ''Film/TrueRomance'' etc. His first feature film? A gloomy vampire story called ''Film/TheHunger'' - which he made as a consolation prize for not getting to direct ''Film/InterviewWithTheVampire'' (he was a huge Creator/AnneRice fan). In this case, after ''The Hunger'' flopped, he transitioned into directing car commercials - and this lead to his success as an action director.
* Creator/JohnHuston, well known for FilmNoir classics such as ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon|1941}}'', ''Film/KeyLargo'' and ''Film/TheAsphaltJungle'', also did the family musical ''Film/{{Annie|1982}}''.
* Creator/KevinSmith went against type in 2004 with the dramedy ''Film/JerseyGirl'', his first non-Askewneverse film, then in 2010 he directed the action-comedy ''Film/CopOut'' and the horror/action/thriller movie ''Film/RedState''. This movie was also atypical for him as a writer.
* Creator/SidneyLumet, known for crime dramas such as ''Film/TwelveAngryMen'', ''Film/{{Serpico}}'', ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'', as well as ''Film/{{Network}}'', also did the family musical ''Film/TheWiz''.

* Creator/JamesMangold has made a career out of playing against type - character study (''Heavy''), crime drama (''Film/CopLand''), institutionalised young women (''Film/GirlInterrupted''), time-travelling romcom (''Film/KateAndLeopold''), serial killer thriller (''Film/{{Identity}}''), biopic (''Film/WalkTheLine''), Western (''Film/ThreeTenToYuma2007''), action (''Film/KnightAndDay''), comics (''Film/TheWolverine'', ''Film/{{Logan}}''), racing (''Film/FordVFerrari''), co-writing an animated Creator/{{Disney}} feature (''WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany'')...
* Jean-Pierre Jeunet did this with ''Film/{{Amelie}}'', a lighthearted romantic comedy completely in contrast to his [[Film/{{Delicatessen}} darker]] and [[Film/TheCityOfLostChildren more]] [[Film/AlienResurrection violent]] films. He also went against custom by casting a traditionally attractive actor in the lead role.
* Creator/JonMChu had only done music films before getting an action film in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''. Even compared to his later work ''Film/NowYouSeeMe2'' it's weird.
* Creator/RobMarshall is known for his musical films (''Film/{{Chicago}}'', ''Theatre/NineMusical'', ''Film/IntoTheWoods''), but also directed ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides''.
* Creator/MarvelStudios has been noted for bringing in some indie or unusual choices for the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Creator/TheRussoBrothers were known for directing television comedy episodes for shows like ''Series/{{Community}}'' and ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'', when they got the job to direct the big-budget {{Superhero}} ConspiracyThriller blockbuster, ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', which is now regarded as a contender for the best movie entry of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. The result was so positive they would direct [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar the next Captain America]] ''and'' [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar two]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame Avengers films]].
** Creator/JamesGunn was known for [[Film/{{Slither}} horror]] or [[Film/{{Super}} downright]] [[Film/Movie43 weird]] [[Series/JamesGunnsPGPorn work]] before he was hired for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''... Although the most unexplainable entries of his career might be writing the [[Film/ScoobyDoo2002 first]] [[Film/ScoobyDooMonstersUnleashed two]] ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' films...
** Creator/ScottDerrickson, who already had an oddball compared to [[Film/TheExorcismOfEmilyRose his]] [[Film/{{Sinister}} horror]] [[Film/DeliverUsFromEvil films]] in ''Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill2008'', was brought in for the trippy ''Film/DoctorStrange2016''. And amusingly, the sequel that would be horror-oriented had Derrickson eventually drop out due to CreativeDifferences.
** Creator/PeytonReed, who had only done [[Film/BringItOn primarily]] [[Film/DownWithLove comedy]] [[Film/YesMan films]], as well as [[Film/TheBreakUp one romantic dramedy]], did ''Film/AntMan1'' (replacing another director who had only delved in that genre, but with a more action-packed approach, Creator/EdgarWright).
** Jon Watts had only done [[Film/{{Clown}} a horror movie]] and [[Film/CopCar a thriller]], yet Marvel trusted him with [[ComicBook/SpiderMan their most popular character]], and a known jokester in that, with ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''.
** Creator/TaikaWaititi, responsible for [[Film/Boy1969 two acclaimed]] [[Film/HuntForTheWilderpeople comedy dramas]] and [[Film/WhatWeDoInTheShadows a comedy horror flick]], made ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', which had a more comedic approach as a result. And then there's the matter of him potentially helming a LiveActionAdaptation of ''Manga/{{AKIRA}}''...
** Creator/RyanCoogler had [[Film/FruitvaleStation a biographical drama]] and [[Film/Creed2015 a sports drama]] before receiving ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. (And him co-writing a sports ''comedy'' in the ''Film/SpaceJam'' [[Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy sequel]] is even weirder...)
** Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck made [[Series/TheAffair many dramas]] [[Series/{{Looking}} on TV]] [[Film/ItsKindOfAFunnyStory and film]] before being given ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019''.
** While Cate Shortland had made a thriller in ''Film/BerlinSyndrome'', it's certainly far from the espionage action of ''Film/BlackWidow2021''.
** Creator/DestinDanielCretton made quiet low budget dramas. Marvel gave him a martial arts epic in ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''.
** Creator/ChloeZhao, responsible for [[Film/TheRider two small]] [[Film/{{Nomadland}} dramas]], was hired to do [[TheEpic an epic]] in ''Film/{{Eternals}}''.
** Creator/NiaDaCosta, responsible for the thriller ''Film/LittleWoods'' and the horror ''Film/Candyman2021'', ended up with Captain Marvel's sequel ''The Marvels''.
** Creator/MichaelGiacchino is well known for being a composer for many films, particularly superhero ones. He also directed the retraux Halloween special, ''Film/WerewolfByNight2022'' (although he did compose the score for that one too).
* Creator/JamesWan is one of the biggest names in modern {{horror}}, having gotten his start as the creator of the torture porn movie franchise ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''. He also directed ''Film/DeadSilence'', ''Film/{{Insidious}}'', and ''Film/TheConjuring'', which all fit his typical line of work. But his most successful movie by far? ''Film/Furious7'', a high-octane blockbuster action film with an [[CarFu emphasis on vehicles]], and RuleOfCool is valued above all else. If one was introduced to Wan through this movie, they'd have a hard time believing he's one of the biggest names in the horror genre. He would later go on to helm ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'', which is yet another action-packed romp different from his usual output, this time in the superhero genre.

* Creator/StevenSpielberg has a really varied career, on which [[Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk action]], [[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial adventure]], [[Film/JurassicPark science-fiction]], and [[Film/SchindlersList compelling]] [[Film/SavingPrivateRyan dramas]] (usually of the [[HistoricalFiction historical variety]]) stand out. The true oddballs are the comedies ''Film/NineteenFortyOne1979'' and ''Film/TheTerminal'', plus the musical ''Film/WestSideStory2021''.

* Creator/JordanPeele, best known for being a ''Series/MadTV'' alum and one-half of ''Series/KeyAndPeele'', both sketch comedy shows, made his directorial debut with ''Film/GetOut2017'', a horror movie that deals with racism. Granted, it still has a great deal of black comedy and social satire carried over from ''Key and Peele''. ''Film/{{Us}}'', which was downright horror with little comedy, was even more clashing to his earlier work.

* Creator/MichaelMoore is famed for political documentaries like ''Film/RogerAndMe'', ''Film/Fahrenheit911'', and ''Film/CapitalismALoveStory''. He has directed a single narrative film, ''Film/CanadianBacon'', which is a satirical comedy about geopolitics.
* Creator/ShawnLevy, best known for sci-fi/fantasy movies such as the ''Film/NightAtTheMuseum'' franchise, ''Film/RealSteel'', ''Film/FreeGuy'', and ''Film/TheAdamProject'', also directed ''Film/DateNight'', a romantic comedy, and ''Film/ThisIsWhereILeaveYou'', a comedy-drama about a family reunion that both lack any sort of fantastical elements.

* Ian Rankin is known for his PoliceProcedural novels, in particular the Literature/{{Rebus}} series. Early in his career he also wrote the techno-thriller ''Westwind'', which for many years he considered an old shame though he eventually came around to it.

* Literature/{{Rebus}} author Ian Rankin has two, both examples of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''The Flood'', a coming-of-age novel with Gothic overtones, and ''Westwind'', a techno-thriller. The former is just about on the periphery of [[TheVerse the same 'Verse]] as his later novels, but the latter is definitely not.

* Hiroya Oku is a seinen manga artist best known for his sci-fi horror works such as ''Manga/{{Gantz}}'' and ''Manga/{{Inuyashiki}}'', but he started his career with ''Hen'', a romantic comedy manga. There's also a manga he created while working on Gantz, ''Me-teru no Kimochi'', which tells the story of a {{Hikikomori}} that, after the death of his father, falls in love with his step-mother.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMutantMayhem'' is this for Creator/SethRogen and Evan Goldberg’s Point Grey Picutres. While Rogen has acted in family friendly films before, the works he produces almost all tend to be raunchy and hard-R, including the production company’s last animated film, ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty''. This will be the first project by Rogen and Goldberg geared towards family audiences.

* David Jaffe is mostly known for his brutal and violent games like ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'' and ''VideoGame/GodOfWar''. He was also [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness one of the designers]] for ''VideoGame/MickeyMania'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis.

** Rockstar is a developer and publisher famous for its self-conscious cultivation of a cool image, making their name with the ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' series and also releasing [[VideoGame/MaxPayne noir-inspired]] [[VideoGame/LANoire crime dramas]], [[VideoGame/MidnightClub slick open-world street racers]], [[VideoGame/{{Manhunt}} ultraviolent slashers]], [[VideoGame/TheWarriors adaptations of cult '70s action films]], and [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption gritty Westerns]]... so imagine everyone's surprise when they made ''[[http://kotaku.com/that-time-rockstar-made-a-table-tennis-game-1750981913 Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis]]''. It was [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just that]]: a straightforward table tennis game, treated with the same seriousness as all of their other titles. Pretty much every retrospective on the game goes out of its way to note just how oddball and unlike the rest of the company's titles it was. ''Table Tennis'' was actually far more important to Rockstar than one may guess, as [[TechDemoGame it was a test run for the new Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)]] that powered titles like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' and ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'' during the [[UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames seventh generation of gaming]].

* Creator/StanLee is one of the greatest superhero comic writers. He created and co-created a lot of UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} superheroes. He also created the erotic animated series ''WesternAnimation/{{Stripperella}}'' which, while still a superhero show, is more adult and male-geared than his usual work, as are all the films and series produced by his production company POW Entertainment.

** ''Film/TheFaculty'' is something in between. On one hand, it's an R-rated sci-fi horror movie inspired by ''Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers'', but on the other, it's also a ''teen'' horror film with satirical undertones inspired by ''Film/Scream1996'' and ''Film/TheBreakfastClub''.
** Likewise, ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' is him going into pure sci-fi action with a PG-13 rating.

* Country legend Music/BuckOwens had already displayed a lot of non-country influences in his music by 1969, but that year he released two singles that were much more rock than country: "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass", which featured fuzztone guitar and harpsichord (!) as lead instruments, and a live cover of [[Music/ChuckBerry "Johnny B. Goode"]] that would've put most garage bands to shame. However, he was a big enough star that they still managed to become #1 country hits.
** Owens received some backlash from longtime fans for those two records, plus a bluegrass/gospel cover of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," due to a pledge he signed several years earlier stating he would never record a song he didn't consider a country song. Owens defended his choice of music, noting that he said he would not record in a pop-country vein, not record rockabilly or bluegrass (forms of country music).
** That stated, from about the mid-1970s to early 1980s, in part due to massive grief over the death of his best friend Don Rich in a tragic accident in 1974, an apathetic Owens began recording pop-country. While the music itself isn't bad, it also did not represent Owens at his best, something he later admitted. It wasn't until the late 1980s, when he had a brief comeback with Music/DwightYoakam on "Streets of Bakersfield", that he began to record in his classic styles and made vintage Buck Owens music.

** While Nintendo publishing a third-party title internationally isn't at all strange, a peculiar instance of this is them distributing ''VideoGame/RType'' -- as in the original 1987 game -- for North American arcades, with it even being the last arcade title Nintendo would ever release.

* The Farm 51 is best known for ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}}''-inspired shooter games, namely ''VideoGame/NecroVision'' and ''Painkiller: Hell and Damnation'', the [=HD=] VideoGameRemake of ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}}''. Their previous game, ''VideoGame/DeadfallAdventures'', was somewhat more puzzle and story driven than their previous games but was still very much a first-person shooter. However, their 2017 game ''VideoGame/GetEven'', despite being advertised as an FPS, was really more of an EnvironmentalNarrativeGame with stealth elements, and while it is possible to play it as a shooter, the gunplay is deliberately poor and the story heavily penalizes you for playing it as an FPS. The Farm 51 have acknowledged this approach was poorly received, and their next game, ''VideoGame/{{Chernobylite}}'', while still story-driven, has much more of an emphasis on gameplay and doesn't heavily punish playing it as an FPS.

* Tango Gameworks had previously been known exclusively for fairly serious horror-based games with ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'', [[VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2 its sequel]], and ''VideoGame/GhostwireTokyo''. ''VideoGame/HiFiRush'', by contrast, is an over-the-top action-RhythmGame hybrid with a very colorful and cartoony art style. The launch trailer even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the genre shift:

* Creator/RolandEmmerich, best known for large-scale disaster movies such as ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve'', ''Film/IndependenceDay'', and ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow'', tackled ''Film/{{Anonymous}}'', a historical mystery-thriller that supports the conspiracy theory of the Oxfordian Theory (i.e., that a member of British aristocracy wrote plays and had Shakespeare presented as an illiterate stooge). After a return to destruction fests in ''Film/WhiteHouseDown'', his next film, ''Film/Stonewall2015'', was a historical drama focused on [[UsefulNotes/PrideParade the eponymous riots for gay rights]].

* Vin Di Bona is known for family-friendly fare such as ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' and its many spinoffs. Then there's the short-lived Creator/{{Showtime}} [[{{Mockumentary}} mockumentary]] sitcom ''Sherman Oaks'', which featured [[CrossesTheLineTwice offensive humor]] and [[{{Fanservice}} gratuitous nudity]].

* WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom is this for Creator/ButchHartman, being a superhero action show rather than a wacky comedy like his other shows (although it does have its share of comedic moments).

* ''WesternAnimation/WakingLife'' is a drastic departure from the rest of [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox 20th Century Fox's]] adult animated productions, as the film completely lacks the lowbrow humor and DysfunctionalFamily writing found in their other works, instead being a philosophical LeFilmArtistique drama centering on the themes of [[AudienceAlienatingPremise freewill, the nature of reality, and the meaning of life]]. It's likely because of these reasons that Fox decided not to credit their 20th Century Animation branch in the film's production.

* Legendary freestyle skateboarder Rodney Mullen has appeared in many a skateboard video and movie doing what he does best either as a skateboarding extra, a stunt double for another actor e.g. filling in for Creator/BenStiller in the skateboarding scene in ''Film/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'' or a playable character in ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater''. His role as Jace Skell in ''VideoGame/GhostReconBreakpoint'' on the other hand is a surprising outlier, as it marks his only non-skating theatrical role to date; the game does however make a subtle reference to Mullen's occupation in the form of a fingerboard found on Skell's desk, though.

* Creator/JamesWan is one of the biggest names in modern {{horror}}, having gotten his start as the creator of the torture porn movie franchise ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''. He also directed ''Film/DeadSilence'', ''Film/{{Insidious}}'', and ''Film/TheConjuring'', which all fit his typical line of work. But his most successful movie by far? ''Film/FuriousSeven'', a high-octane blockbuster action film with an [[CarFu emphasis on vehicles]], and RuleOfCool is valued above all else. If one was introduced to Wan through this movie, they'd have a hard time believing he's one of the biggest names in the horror genre. He would later go on to helm ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'', which is yet another action-packed romp different from his usual output, this time in the superhero genre.

** Creator/RyanCoogler had [[Film/FruitvaleStation a biographical drama]] and [[Film/{{Creed}} a sports drama]] before receiving ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}''. (And him co-writing a sports ''comedy'' in the ''Film/SpaceJam'' [[Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy sequel]] is even weirder...)

* While ''VideoGame/SpaceBomber'' by Creator/{{Psikyo}} is a shmup like most of their output, there are several differences from their other games: for starters it's a CuteEmUp (the only other one they've made is ''VideoGame/PilotKids''), it's a retro-styled single-screen vertical shooter a la ''Galaga'' or ''Space Invaders'' and also has some slight puzzle elements with its mechanic of grabbing and throwing enemies. Moreover, it's the most overtly wacky and parodic game they have made, directly spoofing cheesy alien invader B-movies.